Katy Perry Says She 'Prayed The Gay Away' In Religious Upbringing

She opens up about exploring her sexuality and suppressing it.
- byErin Rooney

20 Mar
2017

Katy Perry is well-known for her pop song 'I Kissed A Girl', but she recently opened up about how she wasn't always able to express her sexuality honestly.

She has been a loud and proud advocate for marriage equality, and recently spoke at the Human Rights Campaign Gala in Los Angeles where she was being honoured.

As a teenager she said that she experimented, and did more than just 'kiss a girl'. She struggled to fit that in with her religious upbringing, where she was told to 'pray the gay away' at bible camps.

According to E! News, she said, “How was I going to reconcile that with a gospel singing girl raised in youth groups that were pro-conversion camps?”

But she knew that there was more to sexuality than just 'straight' and 'gay'.

“What I did know was I was curious and even then I knew sexuality wasn’t as black and white as this dress,” she said.

“And honestly, I haven’t always gotten it right but in 2008 when that song came out I knew that I started a conversation and a lot of the world seemed curious enough to sing along, too.”

When she shifted from singing Gospel music to pop music, she really found herself.

“I found my gift and my gift introduced me to people outside my bubble and my bubble started to burst,” Perry said. “These people were nothing like I had been taught to fear. They were the most free, strong, kind and inclusive people I have ever met.”